Thanksgiving is certainly one of my favorite holidays. The autumn weather is usually pleasant with its crisp temperatures and sunny skies. Thanksgiving tends to be a fairly simple, yet heartwarming celebration. It doesn't seem to carry with it the stress and pressure of the Christmas festivities. Even if I'm hosting the dinner, I can enlist the help of guests by asking them each to bring a side dish to share. A walk around the neighborhood or a front yard family football game are refreshing alternatives to sitting indoors all day.
Like many families, we usually declare what we are each thankful for before the feast. The theme of gratefulness is truly what I love about this holiday. As Christians, of course, we are eternally grateful for our salvation. Jesus laid down His life for us and rose from the dead so that we could be reconciled to the Father and share everlasting life in heaven. In addition to this we can recount are all the blessings which God graces us with on this earth. It seems that the more we concentrate on and express our gratitude to the Lord, the happier and healthier we become. Thankfulness is a habit we can practice, cultivate, and teach to our children. It is contagious and as we express our love and praise the joy spills over to others.
One of the ways we can let the Lord know how appreciative we are to Him is to reach out to others during this season. Inviting a lonely friend or neighbor to dinner, volunteering for an afternoon at a church food pantry, or visiting a shut in are simple ways to brighten someone else's holiday and to provide them with a reason to give thanks.
By cathy Friberg
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